Matters of the Heart
by erenjaegers
Summary: Before Yui ever step foot into that garden, Kimiko was brought into the world of the gods for the same reason. Headstrong, ambitious, and suffering from amnesia, Kimiko struggles to keep a leash on the foolhardy gods, more often than not getting into fights with them. Will she be successful, or will she fail? Just who is she, and why was she chosen for this job?
1. Calamity

Author's Note: Hello there! I just recently finished watching the Kamiaso anime and I have to say, I'm totally hooked to both the characters and the plotline! I'm really excited to write this! I have yet to figure out who I want the main man to be, but... yeah!

* * *

I gazed out the bus window, my eyes scanning along the bleak horizon. Here we were, miles from human civilization, heading to a temple deep in the woods where we would be staying for a good two weeks, without internet and only getting to shower three times a week to conserve water. I droned out the excited chattering of my schoolmates, focusing on trying to find a way out of this.

Perhaps I could fake an illness and have them send me home. That excuse had worked for me once, so maybe if I tried it again, it would get me out of this place. The easiest to fake was probably coughing - no, coughing up blood. Faking a fever was a little bit harder, but it wasn't too difficult. I always had a package of fake blood somewhere in my luggage. Don't ask why.

It wasn't particularly that I hated the temple or the wilderness, it was just that I didn't exactly like being away from home for such a long time, especially when I was stuck with people I didn't like. I didn't really enjoy the company of my schoolmates, to be frank, so coming on a trip where I would live with them for seven whole days sounded like a nightmare come true. My parents wouldn't hear me out and signed me up for the trip, believing it would be a 'spiritual and social experience', where I would 'get closer to friends' while 'experiencing the tranquility and beauty of a traditional Japanese temple'.

_No._ I wanted out. The dread I felt only got heavier and heavier as minutes passed and human civilization grew farther away. It was impossible for us to turn back now, even if we wanted to. The mountain road was narrow and winding, leaving no space for turns of any kind. I held tightly onto my seatbelt, staring down the cliff at the forest floor down below. I kind of wished the driver would miscalculate and accidentally veer off the edge of the road, but then again, looking at how great the fall would be, I changed my mind. If we fell off here, that would mean certain death.

What could I do? Even if I faked an illness. they would probably keep me in my room, not send me back home like I wanted them to. I let out yet another sigh, clutching the straps of my bag tightly in my hands as the bus made its way deep into the mountains.

I suddenly heard the roll of thunder nearby, the boom causing the windows of the bus to tremble and the girls to cry out in fear. Looking up, it was evident there was a storm brewing overhead, threatening to rain down hard upon us any second now. Just a minute ago, the sky had been sunny and clear, like it should have been. Dark, ominous clouds accumulated above our heads, strong winds causing the packed vehicle to sway back and forth, creaking as we continued up the steep road.

I pressed my hands against the cold, dirty window, observing as the clouds began to move in a circle, the eye of the storm seeming to suck everything that was passing by into its pitch-black depths. Another gust of wind rocked the bus, more gently than the last but causing the girls behind me to squeal in fright. I took this time to stick my head out into the aisle, looking past the luggage lying in the walkway and out through the front window. The darkness seemed to be endless - looking back, even the sun had been completely engulfed by the arrival of the storm, its beams of light unable to pierce through.

Thunder boomed once more, this time, right above us and causing the whole bus to vibrate and shudder with its sheer force. Guys and girls alike began to voice their panic, staring out their windows in terror. A few seconds had gone by, and people had just seemed to settle down when a bright blue streak of lightning cracked down, striking a clump of trees nearby, instantly lighting them on fire. The bus driver, not knowing what to do, tried to keep everyone calm, but his voice was drowned out when thunder rumbled yet again, lightning bolts shooting down from the sky and hitting random places, causing scattered fires.

I could hear the sound of trees violently lashing about and cracking and instantly felt a lump of fear form in my throat. The wind was rapidly approaching from behind us, roaring and crashing like water. I instinctively ducked down, holding my head in my hands as the wind chased after us, gaining on us and paving a path of destruction in its wake. Finally it reached us, the bus lifting off of the ground and flying forward, straight towards a plummet straight down the cliff.

Panicking, everyone began screaming, the bus driver managing to throw his hands across the steering wheel, mustering all his strength to swerve from the cliff and into the mountain wall instead. The loud bang of the collision was followed shortly by a violent jerk, my body slamming hard into the seat in front of me and knocking the wind right out of me. Breathless and gasping desperately for air, I clawed to pick myself back up from where I lie, only to hear the howling of the wind down the canyon as it came back to torment us.

Before I could react, the bus was lifted once more, thrown onto its side and flipping onto its back, our bodies following the direction of gravity and smashing into the side of the bus, then cascading down onto the ceiling of the overturned bus. Having worn my seatbelt, I was one of the few who did not fall, and merely dangled from my seat, the blood instantly rushing to my head as the bus filled with terrified screams and cries of pain.

Some had been smothered by their own baggage, their hands attempting to pry off the heavy bags. Some had been unfortunate enough and bashed their heads on windows or were cut my flying glass. Or even worse - someone had fallen onto the emergency exit on the ceiling of the bus and had cracked their rib as a result. The thunderstorm continued raging on outside as I fumbled with my seatbelt, managing to unclip it and lowered myself slowly, making care not to step on anyone. I had been the only one who had escaped unscathed, not a scratch or bruise on me.

The strap of my bag around my shoulders, I picked my way to the front of the bus, which had collided with the mountain just earlier. The whole front had been crushed, and the bus driver lie there in his seat dead, suspended upside down and blood running from his neck down his head. I covered my mouth, muffling my scream as I searched for a radio to call for help. To my horror, it had been demolished from the impact and lie in pieces on the floor.

My phone - perhaps it had signal, even all the way out here?

I fished it out of my bag - no luck. There was no service this far out in the wilderness. What could I do now? I stared back at the groaning mess of injured students behind me with wide eyes. I couldn't just leave them all here to die. But I couldn't get help unless I left the bus and tried to find anyone who could go and call for a rescue team. I didn't have much time to think. It was either stay or go.

I stayed.

I grabbed the first aid kit and rushed towards the first injured person I saw, tending to their injuries as quickly as I could. The fact that I disliked these people didn't even cross my mind for an instant as I concentrated on saving their lives. There were twenty other people who needed first aid, and there was only one of me, and one single box. Would there be enough supplies?

"Help me too," someone cried from beside me, blood flowing from a cut on their forehead.

"Me too," another pleaded, their shoulder clearly dislocated.

"Please," someone else begged me.

A bead of sweat rolled down my forehead as I went about as quickly as I could, tending to those who needed it immediately and saving the others until after I was finished. I had been bandaging the arm of the last person when wind rushed through the cracked windows, blowing dirt and debris into the wreckage. At this rate, the bus wouldn't survive and would likely be tossed off the cliff if we didn't get to a safe location first.

"The bus driver... he's... dead!" a boy cried out, mortified as he stumbled back into the aisle with fresh blood covering his hands.

"What?"

"If he's dead, then we're doomed..."

"Someone call for help!"

I stood up. "There's no signal all the way out here. I checked. We have no choice but to leave the bus before we get thrown off the cliff. Get your things and run before the wind comes back. Give a hand to whoever's injured. We have to hurry, before it's too late."

Everyone followed my lead, not knowing what else they could do. I stuffed the first aid kit into my bag, grabbing any supplies I saw at the front of the bus as I stepped out into the storm. The swirling clouds up ahead had picked up speed and formed a vortex in the sky. It was hard to believe just moments ago, the sun was out and everything seemed to be fine.

"Everyone hold hands and gather against the cliff. If the wind ever hits, crouch down or lay on the ground, staying as close to the cliff as possible, okay?" I instructed. "If we do that, it'll be harder for the wind to knock us over."

Nobody dared to challenge my method and did as I had instructed. I stood a ways from the mountain wall, looking around for somewhere we could take refuge in. The only hope we had was going along the road and hoping we would reach the temple on foot. Just after I informed everyone of the plan, without prior warning, the wind came rushing up from down the road at an incomprehensible speed and I was unable to stop it from taking me away. I saw the horror-stricken eyes of my schoolmates and their open mouths, frozen in silent screams as I was swept off my feet and flung carelessly off the edge of the cliff.

The wind was so strong that it was impossible for me to look behind or move my body, a loud, endless shriek pouring out from the back of my throat as I plummeted straight for my death, the thrashing trees, dark, demonic skies, and my flailing limbs the last thing I saw before everything went black.

* * *

I sat up with a jolt, awakened by the light that had flooded my eyes in my unconscious state. I was lying in a bed of flowers, my bag slung across my shoulders. Staring around me, I was in a garden of sorts, a dome-shaped gazebo right up ahead of me, a group of birds pecking at berries strewn idly across the ground. Rubbing the back of my head, I slowly picked myself up onto my feet, dusting the pollen and dirt from my clothes as I scanned my vicinity.

Where was I?

I decided to explore my surroundings, wandering around the serene halls and in through some doors. I could hear voices in the distance and allowed my ears to guide me towards the source of the sound. I turned the corner and spotted a tall boy with striking blue hair walking alongside another with sleek, long blond locks, the two engaged in casual conversation. Just before I could call out to the strangers, I was seized from behind by my shoulders and was instantly spun around, coming face-to-face with a strange-looking boy I had never seen before.

When he leaned down to peer into my face, I took two steps back, holding my hands up to prepare to shove him away. "What are you doing?" I demanded, almost angrily. "Don't you know the meaning of personal space?"

The boy looked irritated for a moment before he smiled, reaching out to pet my head. "Not bad. I rate you an eight out of ten in the looks department. Not many girls have even passed six. You should be proud," he sang, almost as if he were mocking me.

Ignoring his comments, I decided to question him regarding my whereabouts. "What is this place, anyway? I just woke up here a few minutes ago, and... wait, did you _kidnap_ me?"

The boy, with messy red hair and feline-like gray eyes, raised a brow at my accusation. "I didn't kidnap you, what are you saying? I was brought here against my will, too! I don't know where we are, just that it's not where I'm supposed to be. Whatever, I'll figure it out soon."

He noticed the two men down the hall and instantly brightened up. "Balder! Thor! Over here!" he hollered, nearly shattering my eardrums in the process. He managed to catch the attention of his two friends, who made their way over to join us. I found myself looking up at two attractive males, the one with blond hair smiling kindly down at me while the other, with green hair and beautiful golden eyes stared at me silently from beside him.

"Loki, who's this?" the angelic blond inquired the boy with red hair.

Loki - why did the name sound so... _familiar_?

"Beats me. She got in my way while I went looking for you," Loki shrugged carelessly, completely disregarding my presence.

"What? I was not in your way. You were the one who snuck up on me like some kidnapper!" I retorted, my indignance surprising all three of them. "I'm just trying to figure out where I am. Does anyone know?"

The blond one shook his head. "No, we're just as confused as you are, um..."

I smiled amiably. "I'm Miyanagi Kimiko, but I go by Miko. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Balder, and this here is Thor and Loki," he replied gently.

"Enough with all of this formal stuff. I wanna find out where we are and what we're doing in a place like this," Loki said, folding his arms behind his head and walking off. "Thor, Balder, let's go look around."

"Okay." Thor followed quietly after him, while Balder hesitated.

"Miko-san, would you like to join us?" he questioned.

I shook my head, declining his offer. "Thanks, but I don't want to disturb the three of you. I think I'll be fine on my own," I explained. He seemed uneasy to let me roam the place alone, but he didn't linger any longer, nodding his head and reuniting with Loki and Thor. I went walking around by myself, pacing through hallways and peeking into any open doors. It seemed as if I were in some kind of school of sorts, except there were no students of any kind walking around like I would have expected there to be.

I found my way out of the main doors of the school, the bright light of the sun shining into my face. I shielded my eyes with my forearm and stepped out of the building and down the stairs where I could get a better look at the place. The building was tall and majestic, looking more like a golden castle than a school. A single clock tower rose behind the rooftop, the glint of a large bell unmistakable from where I stood. Behind me lay a small forest, then what looked like a fountain some ways down from the school entrance.

"What the hell is this place?" I mumbled to myself.


	2. Kidnapped?

Author's Note: Hey, I'm back again with chapter two! This was supposed to be with the first part, but I found it too long and so I chopped it into chapter one and two. Thanks for the two subscribes already! ;u; By the way, am I the only one who really wants a Kamiaso season 2? In the human world?

* * *

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," a voice said from beside me. To my astonishment, a boy was sitting cross-legged on the ledge by the school building, sharing the same view I was. I had jumped up in my surprise and watched as an uninterested scowl drew across his lips, the boy glaring silently at me from behind his spiky turquoise hair.

"Hi there," I greeted with uncertainty, catching the unfriendly vibe emitting from him. "I'm Miyanagi Kimiko, but I prefer Miko."

"Did I ask?" he replied curtly.

"What?"

"I said, '_Did I ask_?'" he retorted.

I was offended, but I could say nothing, forcing myself to hold my tongue. The sound of the school doors opening relieved me of my burden and a beautiful, purple-haired boy descended down the steps, glancing briefly at me before he was noticed by the rude guy.

"Brother! There you are," the hot head exclaimed in delight, hugging his brother about his shoulders. His expression had taken a 180 degree turn - it was almost as if he weren't even glowering venomously at me in the first place. "Got any idea where we are?"

"No. I just woke up a few minutes ago in a strange room. I haven't seen anyone around," the boy answered, emotionless. The two walked off on their own, leaving me by myself yet again. I huffed, collecting myself before walking around the side of the building and finding myself gazing up at a dome-shaped building.

As I stood there and admired it, I heard footsteps ahead of me and saw a shadow slip behind a pillar, hanging tree branches concealing the person from my view. I took curious steps over and saw the figure dart away once more, hiding themselves where I couldn't see them.

"Hello? Who's there?" I called.

After waiting a few moments, a man emerged from behind the pillar. He had long, green hair which covered most of his face, only a single eye visible as he met my curious gaze.

"Hi," I said. "Do you by any chance know where we are right now?"

He looked down at the ground. "No. I don't. Sorry."

"Oh, I see. Did you randomly wake up here, too?" I asked him, only to receive a solemn nod. "It seems like this is some sort of serial kidnapping..."

"You should get out of here," the boy suddenly warned me. "Unless you want to get wrapped up in his plan, you should hurry and figure a way out of this place."

"Whose plan?" I queried, approaching the distant male. "What do you mean?"

He held a hand out, causing me to stop in my tracks. "Don't come any closer to me," he ordered. "In any case, get away from this place."

He left the scene before I could react, abandoning me in the middle of the hall. Sighing, I moved towards the dome-shaped building, hoping someone inside there would be able to help me. Entering, I quickly realized it was a library of sorts, with tall, wooden shelves reaching the ceiling against the walls and scattered around the room. Someone was sitting on the ground against a bookshelf, fast asleep and their head drooping forward. I approached the person cautiously, waving my hand in front of his face as I stooped beside him.

"Excuse me..." I called to the mess of blond hair in front of me. "Hello?"

"Hmm?"

The boy lifted his head, groggily opening his eyes and staring right at me. He was very pretty, prince-like even, with golden hair and emerald green irises that seemed to shimmer in the dim light.

"Hi, sorry to bother you, but I was wondering, do you happen to know where we are right now? Or did you also just wake up here?" I said.

"Huh...?" The boy sat up straight, looking to and fro as if in a daze. "Where am I?"

I sighed, smiling at him. "I woke up just a while ago, too, along with a few other guys," I explained. "I'm not sure where this is, but we might have gotten kidnapped from the looks of it."

"Kidnapped...? _Wha_-?!" he cried out in alarm, seizing me by my arms. "We were kidnapped?"

"I don't know how else to explain all of this, so I might be wrong."

"I hope so," the boy breathed, relaxing his tight grip on me. His hand slid down my arm, taking my hand and immediately bringing it forth to his lips, where he planted a soft kiss on it. "I'm sorry for being so rude not to introduce myself. I'm Apollon Agana Belea."

"I'm Miko," I said and tried to tug my hand away. I was unsuccessful. He pulled me towards him, my body fitting right between his legs as he wrapped an arm around my backside.

"Miko, what a pretty name," he mumbled. "I ought to call you 'Princess', though. You seem like one to me."

I laughed nervously as I tried to free myself from his arms. "Um, thanks, but can you please let go of me?"

"Huh?" he was confused for a moment, giving me an opportunity to wriggle myself away from him. From the way he behaved and looked, he certainly did not come from Japan. Even his clothes and name were a huge giveaway - he was a westerner of some sort, but I couldn't tell where he was from.

"I'm sorry, did I frighten you?" he asked in concern. "Please forgive me."

"It's okay," I assured him. "I wonder how many others are here."

He beamed enthusiastically, suddenly standing up. " Princess, wanna go exploring with me?"

"Sure."

He bounded like a child out the front doors of the library and stood outside, as if waiting for someone. He whistled, then kept on looking back and forth, smiling back at me as I caught up to him.

"He'll be here any second now," he spoke.

"Who will?"

Before he could answer me, a huge shadow covered the ground as something descended down before us. A gorgeous, white horse landed in front of me, its coat shimmering proudly in the light and its large wings beating as it looked at me, as if keenly assessing my presence.

"What? A horse with wings?!" I cried out in disbelief, Apollon chuckling as he went to pet its mane. "It's beautiful..."

"This is Pegasus," Apollon introduced, before hoisting himself up onto his back and offering a hand out to me. "Take my hand."

"But..."

I was about to tell him I had never ridden a horse before, but he grabbed my hand before I could, Pegasus taking off soon after. Terrified I would fall off, I wrapped my arms tightly around Apollon's waist, squeezing my eyes shut as the wind rushed through my hair, Pegasus gaining altitude and speed as the seconds passed. Apollon glanced back at me, coaxing me to open my eyes.

"Miko, open your eyes. You wanted to explore, right?" he asked. "Amazing! It's beautiful!"

I slowly drew my eyes open and was instantly awestruck by the sheer beauty of the island. I had never seen a place so abundant with color, so breathtakingly beautiful. We had left the school far behind us and were now flying around, touring the island from the sky. There were forests sprouting everywhere - the ocean was crystal clear, the waves lapping gently at the pristine isolated beach. As Pegasus circled the island, I found myself entranced by the mystique surrounding this place - it looked like somewhere you would only see in dreams or fairy tales.

"It's amazing," I breathed as Pegasus made one last round. "What is this place?"

"I don't know, but now I don't want to leave," Apollon joked. "Pegasus, take us down to the front."

We were flown back down to the ground, where we dismounted Pegasus at the front of the school, where I had been just before. A beautiful boy with wild, red hair stood up from where he was sitting on the steps, clapping Apollon on the shoulder.

"Apollon, you're here too!" he spoke, sounding relieved. "I was having a good drink when I passed out and woke up on the rooftop of this place. Have any idea where this is?"

Apollon shook his head. "No. I just looked around with Princess-san, and it's some kind of island..."

"Princess-san?"

The man finally noticed me and smiled kindly, walking over and placing a hand on my head.

"Are you Princess-san?"

I found my cheeks heating up at the close proximity of our faces and backed away. The boy laughed, turning to Apollon who was watching us from a distance.

"Who's she? She's pretty cute," he asked.

"Miko," Apollon said.

"Miko, nice to meet you," he greeted me. "I'm Dionysus!"

"D-Dionysus...?"

The name rung a bell, but I had a difficult time figuring out where I had heard that name before. Dionysus and Apollon engaged in conversation, seeming to know one another, leaving me to question just what was going on. Before I had lost consciousness, where had I been? For some reason, my memory was starting to betray me, giving me only brief images of what had taken place prior to my waking up on this strange island. Feeling suddenly mentally exhausted, I stopped to lean against the wall, digging voraciously through my memories to try to piece the puzzle together.

I could see a little more clearly now - I had been sitting on a bus, staring out my window over at the horizon. Then my memories were chopped and I found myself staring out the window at a vortex forming in the sky above, dark storm clouds swirling endlessly into the eye of the black hole. I could hear voices... they were distant, but I could feel the panic emanating from them. Then, the sound of a crash. Now, I could see my hands feverishly working to disinfect a cut on a girl's arm, tears in her eyes as she begged for me to take the pain away. There was a first aid kit on my lap and a roll of gauze on my knee. Looking around, I saw a boy trapped beneath his luggage and dozens of eyes staring at me, begging me to help them. The images cut yet again and I was falling, my body unable to move as I plummeted straight down to the bottom of the mountain.

I failed to comprehend anything my mind was telling me. Dionysus and Apollon seemed to notice my dazed look, because they had stopped talking and had come over to my side, asking me if I was alright. I could only nod, my voice trapped inside of my throat as I attempted to dissect the meaning of the small pieces of memory that I had.

Suddenly, a bell rung overhead, snapping me out of my trance. Dionysus and Apollon were looking about curiously when the setting around us faded away and morphed into a throne room, a light-headed sensation taking over for brief moment as I steadied myself against a pillar. Dionysus and Apollon had disappeared, and I had been summoned here by myself. I lifted my head and saw a man seated on the throne, eyeing me as I straightened my posture.

He was a stern-looking man, with slicked back golden hair and equally golden eyes. A strand of hair fell across his forehead, the man stroking his beard thoughtfully as he stood from his chair. A scheming smile spread across his features before vanishing almost as quickly as it had been there.

"Miyanagi Kimiko," he called, summoning me forth. I stepped forward, facing him bravely.

"Who are you and why am I here?" I asked.

"My name is Zeus, and I am the ruler of the heavens," he announced. "I'm sure you have heard my name before."

"Zeus, as in from mythology?"

I needed no affirmation. I knew who Zeus was, but it didn't mean that I believed him.

"You don't believe me, do you, human?"

A bright light encompassed his body before he transformed into a mere child before my eyes, as if to prove his authority to me. In this form, he was much less intimidating and set my heart at ease, even if only by a little bit. There were still a bunch of unanswered questions I had for him.

"It seems like I've changed your mind," Zeus said in amusement. "Good. I've called you here for a very important reason. I have a plan that requires the participation of someone like you."

"Someone like me? Why?"

"You have a lot of questions, human," child Zeus remarked, shooting me a sharp look. He pointed his scepter at me, electricity bouncing off the end as it drew closer to my face. "Maybe I should silence you with a good shock."

"No, no! I'll be quiet!" I claimed, taking a step back. "Please don't zap me."

He smirked, withdrawing his weapon and crossing his arms over his chest. "Since the beginning of time, gods have ruled the universe, having the duty to both love humanity and be worshiped by them. However, regrettably, the connection between that of the heavens and the realm of humans has weakened as the years have passed. At this rate, a morose future is inevitable."

He approached me, morphing back into his original form and towering over me. "Thus, I have gathered the gods who struggle the most with understanding humanity here, to educate them. That's where you come in, Miyanagi Kimiko," he explained. "The Norse gods Balder, Loki, and Thor - the Japanese gods Tsukuyomi and Susanoo, and the Greek gods, Hades, Apollon, and Dionysus."

Four images appeared out of thin air before me - Norse gods Balder and Loki were still walking in the halls side-by-side, Thor trailing behind them as he stared out the windows. The rude guy and his brother were standing around by the fountain at the front of the school, engaged in conversation. Dionysus, whom I now recalled to be the god of wine and fertility, was chatting away with Apollon, who was stroking Pegasus' mane. The strange man who had given me a warning still stood in the shadows of the hall, glancing back and forth as if he knew he was being watched.

"What are humans? What is love? By educating them about these things, we can avoid a terrible future where bonds between gods and humans are forever lost," Zeus said. "That's why I created this academy of the gods. You, Miyanagi Kimiko, will help them understand human emotions and lifestyles. Learning alongside them, you were help to close the increasing gap between mankind and the gods."

"But why me? I'm just an ordinary girl! I don't even know anything about teaching, much less teaching _gods_!" I exclaimed in exasperation. "Besides, Zeus, you practically kidnapped me! Shouldn't I get a say in all of this?"

He seemed more amused with my indignant attitude than angry. "You have no choice. I will only release you from this world when you succeed. Understood?"

I glowered at him, displeased with his ridiculous conditions. "Not understood. I refuse to take a part of this. Besides, I hardly think I'm the right person for this kind of job! I don't know a thing about the gods! I'm not a religious person or anything, I'm only a student! And I have an exam in a few weeks. I don't have time for something like this."

"There is no room for debate, human. Either you obey my orders, or you won't return home. It's as simple as that," he stated. "You were specifically chosen for this job because of your knowledge in history. You may have lost some of your memories when you fell from that cliff, but you'll regain them all in time. Everything may seem muddled to you right now, but soon, you will begin to understand and adapt to your role."

"_Bastard_..." I growled as he smiled down at me.

"Thoth. Handle the girl. I have duties I have yet to attend to," Zeus instructed as he headed towards the door. I started after him, refusing to back down from the fight.

"Wait, come back! I'm not finished just ye-" I was cut off when a figure emerged from behind the pillar, stopping me in my tracks. I was slammed against the wall, my eyes locking with crystal blue ones. A devilishly handsome man was leaning over me, with a rich, deep skin complexion and firm build. The man had sandy brown hair and wore a gray button-up shirt, which had only been buttoned halfway, leaving his chest exposed. A blue coat was draped over his shoulders as he cornered me, scrutinizing me with his beautiful eyes. I found myself sweating nervously under his stare and bashfully averted his eyes.

"U-um..." I stammered, unable to look at him longer than half a second. "You're awfully close..."

"Not running? I'm surprised," the man replied, placing a hand under my chin and lifting my face up. "Usually they'd be running now, but..."

'_Run_?' I thought. '_I'd never run away from such an attractive man_...'

He withdrew from me, causing an involuntary sigh to escape my lips. Crossing his arms over his chest, he turned away from me and started heading towards the door. "Miyanagi Kimiko - follow me."

I eagerly followed after the man, the thought of confronting Zeus having been pushed to the back of my head. I tailed after him silently, admiring his backside as he led me from the main building and into the library. Once inside, he moved towards a desk, where he picked up a thick textbook and opened it up, leafing through the pages until he found the one he was looking for. He presented it to me, leaning against his desk and waiting for me to take a look at it.

"Huh? What's this?"

It was a story about the Egyptian god Thoth. Despite my memory loss, I knew I had read it before, several times even. Thoth was the god of wisdom, hieroglyphs, and knowledge. He knew everything about the universe and oversaw three battles between good and evil. Why was he showing this to me?

"What is this...?"

"My name is Thoth. I'm the Egyptian god of wisdom," he said. "You were hand-picked by me for this job. I hope that you will cooperate. Of course, cooperating with us will be in your best interests. Only a fool wouldn't go through with this."

"Thoth... why _me_? I'm sure there are a lot of other people who can handle this. I'm just a normal girl. I can't do this - no, I refuse to do this," I corrected.

"You'll understand by tomorrow morning," he simply answered. "Tell me everything you remember from the day, prior to waking up here."

"What I remember, huh?" I pondered over it for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. "It's all in jumbles. I think I was on a bus going into the mountains. Then something happened and I was going around giving first aid to everyone on there. Then, I remember falling off a cliff... and waking up here. I can't recall anything else."

"Something like temporary memory loss is normal after having your soul transported from different worlds and dimensions. If not by tomorrow morning, your memories will return soon enough," Thoth answered. "Anyway. Zeus modeled this academy off of what he observed typical human schools were like. All necessary facilities have been provided - a library, dorms, a school store, student centers; it's all here."

"Dorms?" I was surprised for a moment and finally realized my ordeal. "How long will I be staying here? My family back home must be worried to death about me. And I have a lot of studies to be doing right now..."

"Don't worry, you'll be here for only a year at the longest. Once you graduate, you'll return to the time you came from through the god of time, Chronos. As long as you do what you're supposed to, you'll be fine," Thoth assured me, though his words were far from soothing. I didn't want to stay here for another day, much less a full year. The thought of being forced to remain here against my will made me feel sick to my stomach.

"Well, it's almost noon. Come with me to the main hall. The others should be there by now."

Having no choice but to oblige, I accompanied the man back to the academy, where I joined the others in the main hall. Zeus was standing on the staircase, the other gods scattered around the room looking just as confused as I had been before I had been summoned to the throne room. Zeus smiled upon seeing me and beckoned me to the center of the room, where the gods Tsukuyomi and Susanoo were standing. The mean guy I had introduced myself to glared at me as I approached, his brother not even bothering to look in my direction.

"Not that you're all gathered here, I will tell you all the same thing I told Miyanagi Kimiko," he said. "You're here in my garden, my academy, to be educated about humanity. It is unfortunate that I must do this, but I have no choice considering the fact that the connection between humans and the gods is fast diminishing, and in order to counteract a disastrous future, I have summoned all of you here to be enrolled as students at this school."

"Why the hell should we listen to you, old man?!" the rude boy snapped angrily.

"What makes you think that we'll cooperate?" Loki inquired from on top of the stairs. "Are you stupid?"

The rude boy, god of the seas, geared up to attack, blue energy swirling around his body and collecting into an orb in his hand. Loki, god of fire, lifted a hand, and in an instant, a huge sphere of fire formed. The two charged at Zeus, but before they could hit him, he struck his staff on the ground, a strong force propelling them backwards.

"Bastard," Susanoo snarled and stood up to attack once more, Loki following suit. I took a few steps back, fearful I would get caught in the fight when suddenly Susanoo's powers vanished halfway to Zeus, twisting and funneling into a single entity and becoming trapped in an anklet. Simultaneously, like a domino effect, each of them lost their abilities, all taking form of an accessory somewhere on their body. To my surprise, something had burst out of me as well and took form as a headband.

"What the hell? I can't take it off!" Susanoo yelled.

"What are these?" Dionysus inquired calmly, his hand touching his new earring.

"These shackles restrain your powers. As you can see, I'm in control here. If you were to indiscriminately use your powers, this garden will be destroyed," Zeus explained. "You will study here for one year and learn the ways of humans. Once you earn the right to graduate, the shackles will break off."

"Shackles? But why do I have one as well?" I voiced, everyone turning at once to stare at me. "I... I'm _human_, so why-"

"Human? What's a human doing here?" Susanoo demanded.

Zeus chuckled, his deep voice resonating throughout the room. "You will figure that out yourself, Miyanagi Kimiko. Until then..."

He raised his staff and a portal opened wide, a giant glass sphere surrounded by floating golden ellipses descending down, gold chains linking it to the ceiling. I stared at it in awe as he explained its relevance to our situation.

"As you understand more and more about humanity, this glass sphere will fill up. By the time its completely filled, you will have earned your graduation rights," he said as the portal closed up.

"And if we fail by the time a year passes?" Thor inquired from the banister, Balder at his side.

I was almost afraid to hear the answer.

"If you fail, then you will stay here... **forever**."

"Zeus, this is tyranny!" Hades argued. "You can't keep us here!"

The almighty god merely laughed, as if this were all some kind of game to him. "Yes, I can, and I will if necessary."

"If we succeed," I began, "you'll let us return back to where we came from, correct?"

Everyone in the room eyed me, some in hostility, some in apathy, and some in curiosity. I kept as brave a face as I could muster, knowing I was the one who would lead these gods to success.

Zeus inclined his head. "Correct."

"I don't get what a human is doing in a place for gods," Loki commented harshly. "A human _girl_, at that."

"If you didn't notice already, she's the key to your success," Thoth spoke up. Making his voice heard, he stepped forward as all of the gods fixed their gazes upon him. "I'm Thoth, the Egyptian god of knowledge, and I'll be your instructor. The only way you'll understand humans is through her. Miyanagi is a human, therefore having her here is not just useful, its the only way for this to work. Just like you don't know how to write unless you pick up a pen and do so yourself, you can't possibly understand the human heart or human emotions without being human and being with a human."

"So if we fail, then it's her fault, isn't it?" Loki inquired.

Thoth shook his head. "No. It could fail for several different reasons. Ignorance and refusal to cooperate are two possible ones." He eyed Loki and Susanoo as he said that.

"That is all I wanted to say. Come to the assembly hall tomorrow morning for the opening ceremony. Your fellow classmates will be there as well," Zeus instructed as he headed up the stairs. Instantly, random spirits began to appear around us, already dressed in the signature white school uniforms with the academy's crest stitched onto it. The room was filled with chatter as Zeus quietly left the scene, leaving Thoth to handle the concluding statements.

"I'll show you all the dorms. Follow me."

Having no choice, the gods followed after Thoth, leaving me standing there in worry. Would one year be enough? They were just as unwilling to do this as I was. It was a recipe for disaster. There was no way I would be able to carry the burden of this task on my own. The pressure was immense, and just thinking about failure made my blood run cold. Even now, as they passed right me, the gods gave me wary, even distasteful glances. How was it possible for me to befriend them and teach them about humanity in such a short time? Besides, I could hardly remember much about myself... I had not stopped to think about it much, but there were so many empty spots in my memory. How would I do this?

Apollon must have noticed my concern, because he stopped to offer me words of encouragement. "Princess, keep your head up! You can do this!"

Dionysus agreed, his warm, confident smile cheering me up. "You were chosen specifically for this, right? Have faith in yourself."

The two then rushed to catch up with Thoth, Balder and Thor at the end of the line. Balder gently patted me on the shoulder, his kind, sea blue eyes instantaneously setting me at ease. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll be out of here before the year is up."

"I sure hope so," I sighed and walked away, following Apollon and Dionysus' footsteps.


	3. Teamwork

Author's Note: Here's chapter three! Now things get a lot more interesting from here on out. YamiAlex: I actually have four chapters done since yesterday so I'm just uploading it onto here and proofreading it. xD When I get inspired, I write really fast. LOL.

* * *

I settled inside my dorm room, which was surprisingly comfortable. A uniform was hanging by the doorway, waiting to be worn. I let out a heavy breath and traced my fingers across the smooth fabric. From now on, I wouldn't be wearing jeans and a plain t-shirt on a daily basis like I would back at home. I was a student at this academy now. Whether I liked it or not, I would have to embrace my feminine side and put on a skirt, which I hadn't done since I graduated high school a whole year ago.

As I was mulling over my impending doom, I spotted some things lying on the table and went to check it out. There was a student handbook, with the signature sun crest on the front cover, along with a library card and a set of supplies. There was even a map that I briefly glanced over, locating the assembly hall that I would need to report at tomorrow morning before tossing it to the side. I decided to explore the room further and found that I had my own bathroom, equipped with a bathtub and a shower, and a large sink and mirror to accommodate my needs. There were two pairs of toothbrushes in the cup, along with four boxes of toothpaste and ten boxes of soap bars in the cabinet. Five towels were hanging from the rack.

A note was attached to the mirror, and I quickly tore it off to read it. 'If in need of any supplies, report to the student store.' I crumpled up the note and threw it into the trash bin beneath the sink and wandered into the bedroom, throwing open the wooden closet. There were three more sets of uniform and a single set of pajamas and casual attire. The drawer next to it had socks and undergarments, all strangely a perfect fit for me. I decided to take a hot shower first, then take a walk around the campus in casual attire to get my mind off of things.

I brought the student map with me in case I got lost and wandered around, stopping by the front of the dorms to watch the sunset. Looking across to the boy's dorms, I spotted the two Japanese gods, Tsukuyomi and Susanoo, sharing the same view as I was. I decided to approach them, hoping I could at least properly introduce myself to them.

The beautiful boy with lilac-colored hair and pristine, amber eyes, was the first to notice me, his gaze prompting his brother to turn around. As soon as Susanoo spotted me, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, his hostility evident as I drew closer.

"What do you want?"

"I just wanted to properly introduce myself," I said and bowed politely to the both of them. "My name is Miyanagi Kimiko, but call me Miko. I hope we can become good friends."

"_Friends_? As if," Susanoo snapped. "Brother, let's go inside. I don't trust a human like her."

Before they could go in, someone stuck their head out and blocked their path. "Seems like you're getting along with Takeru-san and Tsukito-san," Dionysus spoke, too cheerfully for his own good.

"Takeru? Tsukito?" I questioned as I attempted to identify them.

"The mean one is Takeru, and the quiet one is Tsukito," Dionysus whispered as the two brothers watched me with keen eyes.

"Oh," I cried and bowed yet again. "Nice to meet you both, Takeru-san and Tsukito-san."

"Hmph." Takeru strode off, pushing past Dionysus and returning to the building. Tsukito merely nodded his head in recognition before calmly tailing after Takeru, who had left him behind in his upset. I shrugged my shoulders and let out a huff.

"I tried. Tsukito seems to not hate me," I commented.

"They'll get used to being here soon," the tall, red-haired male assured me. "Everyone's just on edge because it's the first day, and everything's all over the place. Give him some time."

"I will."

He joined me in watching the sunset, the orange glow of the retiring sun basking the island in warmth.

"Do you know why the sun sets?" I asked suddenly, taking him by surprise.

"Because it's the end of the day, right?" he guessed.

"You're not wrong about that," I laughed, "but you're missing something important. The Egyptian god, Ra, is said to be the reason we have twelve hours of day and twelve hours of nighttime."

"Ra, huh?" Dionysus nodded his head, urging me to go on.

"They say that everyday, Ra is reborn and journeys across the sky in the Manjet boat, accompanied by many other gods. On that boat, he sails across the twelve provinces, each province representing each hour of daylight," I told, staring out at the horizon. "The reason why Ra is reborn each day is because he dies everyday. He sets out on his night voyage once darkness comes and journeys through the underworld, through twelve hours of darkness, sometimes fighting off evil creatures who attacked him."

"He's said to bring light to the souls trapped in the darkness, and as soon as he departs, they shrink back into loneliness," I concluded. "Before, I would have just thought it to be a myth, but now I wonder if it's the truth, after all."

"You seem really knowledgeable about mythology," Dionysus remarked, impressed.

"_Huh_?"

He was right. That tale about Ra had seemed to spring out of nowhere. I didn't even know where something like that came from. Dionysus seemed to pick up on my mental distress, because he smiled softly at me.

"Look. It's almost completely set. Ra must be entering the underworld about now," he stated with a laugh, but I could tell he wasn't joking.

As soon as the sun had gone, I decided to let Dionysus rest and went off to explore on my own. Out here, in this strange world, where there were no city lights or pollution to obstruct your view, you could really admire the night sky. It was breathtaking, to stand out in the grassy field and just stare up at the endless galaxy surrounding me, the brilliant, colorful clusters of stars beaming down at me. Vibrant hues of blues, purples, and pinks were painted across the skies, lights illuminating the darkness. The awe-inspiring canvas of the heavens welcomed me with open arms, opening the door to a whole new world of possibilities and beauty. I closed my eyes, relishing in the sweet breeze as I allowed nature to carry my worries away.

As I stood there, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching and turned around. Tsukito had come out, a white rabbit bundled in his arms as he nodded his head at me. I greeted him with a smile, not knowing what to say, and found myself transfixed by the sliver of moon hiding amongst the sea of stars. I glanced quietly over at Tsukito, who noticed my curious look and opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm the god of the moon," he said.

"That must be nice," I said. "The moon is so beautiful. Back at home, on nights where the moon is full, I take out my telescope and set it up on the front yard, and look at it through the lens."

"Telescope..."

I looked over and realized he was taking down notes of what I was saying, word for word. "You don't have to write that down, Tsukito-san! I was just sharing my experience with you," I said.

"Sharing my experience... with you," he mumbled, having not listened to a word I said. I let out a huff of defeat, knowing I would not be able to convince him to stop. After a few minutes passed, he left, ignoring my 'good night' as he trekked back to the dorms.

I walked in the space between the male and female dorms and headed towards the front of the school, where to my surprise, I found myself literally stumbling across Loki, who had stuck his leg out and tripped me when I passed by him. He doubled over in laughter, watching as I winced in pain and glared up at him through my dark bangs.

"Hey, what's the deal?!" I demanded. "Stop laughing!"

"I can't believe you fell for a simple trick like that!" Loki cackled. "Weren't you watching where you were going? Or are all humans this gullible?"

I picked myself up and dusted the dirt from my pants. "You're lucky I didn't scrape myself anywhere," I claimed.

"Why? What are you gonna do to me?" he mocked, circling around me and toying with my hair. "Ah, you're so gullible! What should I try next?"

"Try personal space," I said and stepped out of his range. "Shouldn't you be in the dorms?"

"I could be asking you the same thing, Miko-chan," he said and followed me as I walked down the front steps of the academy. "Where are you going?"

"Out for a walk. _Alone_," I emphasized, glaring at him. He snickered, but stopped following me. I was relieved to get away from him and paced peacefully down to the fountain, where I seated myself upon the edge and stared down at my reflection. Picking up a leaf from the ground, I stirred the water, my reflection wavering as I drew random strokes across the surface.

As soon as the mirror image of myself had settled, I sat down on the ground against the side of the fountain, leaning my head against the edge and gazing up at the sky. It was so serene, so still here compared to the city, where even at this time of night, it was bustling with activity and noise from all over. It was so soothing that I fell asleep right then and there, with nobody but nature to keep me company.

* * *

When I next awoke, I was lying down on my own bed and the clock on the wall read that it was already 8:30 a.m. I rushed to get ready and left the dorm by 8:45, holding my skirt down as I hustled to the assembly hall, where I burst in, out of breath and apologetic.

"I'm sorry! I'm late!" I exclaimed, only to realize only four other people were in the room. Only Zeus, along with Apollon, Balder, and Tsukito were present, every other person seeming to be elsewhere. "Huh? Where's everyone?"

"We're the only ones who showed up," Balder sighed. "The others refused to come even when I told them to."

I sighed in exasperation. "But the admittance ceremony is the most important part of the school year aside from graduation!" I crossed my arms, walking back outside and noticing Takeru moping around in his uniform. I called fearlessly out to him, picking up a rock and throwing it by his feet when he ignored my calls.

"_What_?!" he growled in annoyance as the rock bounced across his path. "Can't you see I'm busy here?!"

"I don't know if you forgot, but we're supposed to be in here for the opening admittance ceremony," I reminded him. "There's only four of us now, and Tsukito-san is one of them, so come inside."

He scoffed at my attempts to get him to participate and walked away. "No."

"Hey! Get back here, you-" Apollon held me back before I could chase after him, laughing nervously at my anger. "Maybe you should leave this to Tsuki-Tsuki. He can probably convince Take-Take to join us."

Tsukito looked away. "I don't know how to..."

I calmed down, Apollon releasing me from his hold. "In times like this, where he's unwilling to partake in such an important ceremony, we have no choice but to drag him back in here. If he won't listen to our reasoning, I won't hesitate to bring him here by force," I said. "This is going to be more difficult than I thought."

"_Drag him back_... won't hesitate to bring him here by force," Tsukito murmured, jotting down my threat into his handbook.

"Seems like Tsukito-san is appropriately utilizing his resources to take notes," Balder commented. "Maybe we should, too."

"But, I left my book at the dorm," Apollon sulked.

"It's fine! Let's just worry about getting everyone here, first," I said. "Three of you showed up, so that means we need to find how many other people?"

Balder began counting his fingers. "There's Loki, Thor, Dionysus, Hades, and Takeru-san. Five others, and there's four of us. Shall we function as a team?"

"I think in this case, we should spread out," I said, formulating a strategy. "It'll be much faster that way. Apollon, you go towards the library area. Balder, roam through the hallways. Tsukito, head to the dorm area. That's where Takeru-san was headed. I'll stick around this area and the front of the academy. Hunt them down and don't let them escape."

"_Hunt them down_..." Tsukito nodded, recording it into his notes.

"Why is it that you're only writing down the things that make me sound violent?" I asked, feeling dejected. "Anyway, got it? Report back by 9:30, with everyone here."

Apollon stared up at the clock tower. "So we have twenty minutes?"

"That should be enough. There are only five we need to find," I reasoned. "Well, let's not waste any time. Get going!"

We disseminated and headed off in different directions. I stood there for a few minutes, looking back and forth to see if anyone would pop up, but when nobody did, I ventured out on my own to find the others. Whenever any spirits passed by, I alerted them to report immediately to the assembly hall, rallying everyone up and feeling satisfied when my yelling reaped positive results. I trotted over to the front of the school and found Thor walking around by himself, his turquoise hair the first thing I spot.

"Thor!" I hollered. "Thor-san!"

He turned around, and when he noticed it was just me, he kept walking. I groaned, forcing myself to run until I caught up with him.

"Aren't you coming to the admittance ceremony?" I inquired.

"Why would I?"

"Because, besides graduation, the admittance ceremony is the most important part of the year," I explained, struggling to keep up with his pace. "Hey, slow down, you walk really fast."

He slowed his pace, taken aback by my demand. I seized this opportunity to smile, straightening myself up confidently. "Thor-san, do you know what admittance ceremonies are and why they're important?"

"No."

"Well, I'll tell you why. At the start of the school year, all of the students gather together in a ceremony where their names are called off the roll sheet. A lot of the time, there are students who come from different schools and so their names are unfamiliar, but once you're called, you become a part of the student body with everyone else," I explained, elaborating as much as I could. "Everyone promises to work hard to have a successful school year, and sometimes people take the stand and have a speech to motivate everyone. Even though you might not know everyone, or anyone at that matter, afterwards you feel closer to the people who you'll be studying alongside with. It inspires you to work hard and keep up with them."

He was quiet, so I grabbed his arm and tugged him along with me. "See? That's why it's important that you be there! Only four of us showed up. Since we're all going to graduate together, we should all be sworn in with each other, don't you think?"

"Um... I guess so..." he replied.

"Where do you think you're going with my brother?" a familiar voice suddenly demanded, shattering my optimism in an instant. Loki came out of the school building, Balder panting as he came out after him.

"I'm sorry, Miko-san, he wouldn't listen to me," Balder cried in exhaustion. Loki sauntered over to me taking my hand off of Thor's arm.

"I'm not going to that stupid ceremony," Loki said, "and neither is Thor. I refuse to do what that old geezer says, so don't try to get us to go."

"But you have to go," I said. "Thor, tell him what I told you just now, about why it's important to attend."

Thor was puzzled for a moment and scratched the side of his head. "Something about sitting down in chairs and having our names called. And something about promising to work hard together and getting motivated."

My shoulders dropped in disappointment. "Thor!"

"Sorry. I wasn't really listening."

"Whatever! Sounds _booooring_ to me," Loki exclaimed. "You guys have fun! We're going to be out here."

"Oh no you're not," I said and went after the pair. "I'm not letting you get away so easily."

I grabbed Thor by the arm, Loki taking his other and glowering at me. "Let go of him!"

"No way. I'm getting you guys to the ceremony, if it's the last thing I do. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your pick," I spoke.

"Loki, Thor, just listen to her, please!" Balder pleaded with them, but to no avail.

"Thor was about to go with me when you decided to ruin things," I argued. "Thor is coming with me."

Loki tugged him towards his side. "No he isn't. Right, Thor?"

Thor, who was caught in the middle of the conflict, sided loyally with his brother. "Yes."

"Seriously? Okay, we're doing this the hard way then. I didn't want to have to do this, but..." I released Thor's arm and walked over to Loki, who was backing away from me. I grabbed him by the hand, and almost immediately he was shocked by the ring on my finger, loosening his grip on Thor.

"_Ow_! What the-" Loki winced as I kidnapped Thor, dragging both him and Balder from the scene, Loki taking angrily off after us. "Hey! Get back here! That's a dirty trick!"

Laughing gleefully, I dashed all the way to the assembly hall, rushing in with Thor and Balder and squeezing in through the crowd of students towards the front, Loki's angry shouting drowned out by the excited chattering of the students. We found our way to the very front, where chairs had been set up with our names on them. Thor found his seat beside Takeru, who glared at me as I passed by. Balder chuckled heartily, amused by my actions.

"That was sneaky of you, Miko-san," he said. "I didn't think you'd outsmart Loki like that."

"Me neither," I confessed. "I didn't even know whether it would work or not. Oh, he's coming."

Loki finally reached us, out of breath and fuming. "Hey, you little brat!" he snapped and grasped onto my wrist, yanking me towards him. "I told you already, Thor and I aren't attending the stupid ceremony!"

"Too late. You're here already," I announced, gloating in victory. Apollon entered the hall, Dionysus and Hades at his side. I waved at him, setting as he was just as successful as I had been. "Apollon-san! Close the door!"

He dutifully did as told and I smiled innocently up at Loki. "Since you're here, you should find your seat, Loki-san. Wouldn't want to be late."

We ended up sitting next to each other, having no other choice since the seats were all filled. The ceremony commenced, and Loki eventually calmed down. Everyone's name was called and the gods were given last names that they would now be identified with. Following that, Apollon ascended the steps to make a speech as representative of the student body. After the ceremony concluded, everyone filed out, Thoth ordering myself and the gods to stay behind.

"Miyanagi, you did a good job in getting everyone here," he complimented. "I'm impressed they all came."

"Thank you, but it was also due to the fact Apollon, Balder, and Tsukito helped out as well. We had originally been the only ones here, so we teamed up and spread out to find everyone else," I said, smiling at them.

Thoth nodded. "I see. You have done well. As official students of this academy, I expect a lot from the nine of you." He almost smiled before crossing his arms over his chest. "Today is a free day, but tomorrow I expect everyone to show up for class. Understood?"

As soon as we got to the exit, I suddenly remembered something. "Guys, wait. We didn't clean up the chairs."

"Clean up the chairs?" Takeru asked. "Why would we do that?"

"Because we can't just leave this place like a mess. Part of being a student is respecting the school and its property and fulfilling our duties as members of this society. Let's get cleaning. Fold the chairs up and form an assembly line so we can pass it down to one another and store it in the supply room right there," I ordered and rolled up my sleeves. "Who's the strongest one here?"

Instantly, five hands shot up - Dionysus, Thor, Takeru, Loki, and Apollon raised their hands, looking at one another as if sizing each other up. Tsukito was dutifully taking notes, Balder was scratching his head in confusion, and Hades was lingering about in the background. As the boys fought over who had the most muscle and strength, I approached Hades, who instantly held a hand up to prevent me from getting any closer to him.

"Stay away," he said, attempting to ward me off. I merely smiled putting his hand down and pulling him over to the supply closet, to everyone's surprise.

"So this door requires some strength to open. You're going to have to pull it up, then lift it from the bottom, like a garage door," I explained, in spite of his shock.

"Garage?"

He was baffled, so I explained it to him. "Yeah. Garages are usually used to keep your car safe. It's used to store things, too. The doors are usually operated by a remote, but this one has a little hook thing here, so it's manual," I told him. "Sorry for relying on you. You seem like the strongest one here, so I'm giving you the job."

"Garages... used to store things... operated by remote... little hook thing," Tsukito repeated, suddenly appearing behind me and scaring the daylights out of me.

"Tsukito, you scared me," I gasped as he looked at me, his expression unchanging. The others bounded up towards us, watching as Hades pulled the door up with ease, then proceeded to hoist it up over his shoulders until it completely slid open.

"Good job, Hades," I clapped. "What are you guys doing standing there? Line up and form an assembly line so we can get this job done fast. Chop, chop!"

"Chop chop? Who are we chopping?" Tsukito inquired.

"We're _not_ chopping anybody!" I exclaimed in a panic. "It's a figure of speech. I'm just trying to say we don't have all day to do this, so we need to get right on task."

"Okay."

He walked off as I whistled to garner everybody's attention. "Okay, single file assembly line, tallest at the closet, shortest after me. I'm going to fold the chairs, then pass it along the line. You give the chair to the person next to you, and they pass on to the next person, and so on and so forth until we reach the closet, where the tallest person puts the chairs in its place. Got it?"

"Got it, Princess!" Apollon exclaimed, too enthusiastic for his own good. "This sounds fun!"

"This is stupid," Takeru said as he tried to leave. "I'm not playing this stupid game."

"Yes you are," I declared. "Or else."

"Or else what? You going to cry?" he challenged.

"Take-Take, don't argue, just do it!" Apollon cried.

"Why should I listen to a human?" Takeru stated. "I can't believe any of you are following this girl's lead. How embarrassing."

Apollon and Takeru argued back and forth for a while before I was eventually fed up and went over to Takeru, smiling widely at him. "Takeru, either you join us, or I'll kiss you right here. Take your pick."

"Kiss?! You wouldn't," he said.

"Oh, I _would_. Trust me."

"I don't believe you," he spat and lumbered off.

I sighed. "You asked for it..."

Takeru ended up going with my plan after I stuck to my promise and kissed him on the cheek, like I said I would. Embarrassed and angry, the shortest of the gods was subject to ignominy, being the one I handed off the chair to. The others laughed and playfully teased at him as we cleaned the room, Balder going into the closet and returning with three brooms and three mops. I went outside and filled some buckets up with water, returning to find that Thor, Apollon, Balder, and Tsukito had finished sweeping and Loki and Dionysus were lazily lounging about.

I threw two mops at them, keeping the third for myself. The other gods stood outside the door and watched as the three of us worked, Loki dunking the water all over me before he even started, and cackling wildly as I swished my drenched hair from my face and smiled at him. Hades muttered about bringing misfortune to me for being there and I wound up taking off my coat and skirt, leaving me in my blouse and shorts, which were wet, too, but not as much as my outer clothes. Dionysus swung his mop at Loki as payback for drenching me, smacking him in the face with his dirty mop. He stopped laughing then.

After all had been done, I found Hades drying my clothes outside on the ledge and smiled tiredly at him. "Thanks, Hades."

He simply walked away, leaving me alone as he disappeared. I placed my hands on my waist and stared out in the distance and the endless green landscape. This place was beautiful, wasn't it? It was certainly a lot different from what I was used to. Then, I suddenly remembered. The university I had attended back at home was a dreary, monotonous building, with gray walls, gray dorms, and gray classrooms. I could see myself sitting at my desk, taking notes as my professor spoke... but I couldn't hear the words he was saying. Caught up in my trance, I scanned the room and saw the gray walls had been covered with timelines and posters depicting glorious leaders like Alexander the Great and Emperor Qin of China's first dynasty.

I looked down at the book on my lap - 'The Development of Ancient Civilization' was opened up to page 675, where a picture of Julius Caesar stared up at me. Beside me, on a cupboard, was a list of the top students of the classroom - I was the very first one. Lifting my head, I met the envious eyes of the boy who sat in front of me. What was his name? Ah, right - Keigo, who had been jealous of me since high school.

Now, I began to remember - I was a freshman at Tokyo University, double-majoring in history and mythology. My parents were professors at this school as well - my mom taught astronomy, and my dad taught the natural science course. I was on the path to becoming a history professor... and I had been enchanted by mythology all of my life.

"Princess-chan!" a voice shouted, interrupting my train of thought. Apollon bounded over to me with Balder behind him. "We did it! We finished everything!"

"Great," I smiled. "Good job, guys."

"The others wandered off as soon as we finished putting everything away, though," Balder remarked, noting the sudden quietness. "I think that's the most anyone here has worked in their lives."

"Yeah, I'm tired," Apollon yawned. "I could use some sleep now."

"It's noon, and we're so tired already," Balder pointed out. "I guess we really aren't very used to human bodies, huh?"

"You got that right," Apollon agreed. "Princess, aren't you tired?"

"A little," I admit. "You guys should go get lunch. I'll meet you guys there as soon as my clothes dry."

"Alright."

After my clothes had dried, I went into thr restroom to change into them and entered the cafeteria, where students were walking about with lunch trays in their hands as they searched for places to sit. I lined up and got my lunch, then proceeded to look for somewhere to sit. Dionysus beckoned at me from where he sat with Apollon, beaming kindly at me.

"Miss Hard-Working, over here!" he invited. I giggled and took a seat with the two of them, looking back and forth for any sign of the other gods. "Loki, Balder, and Thor got their food and left togerher. Tsukito and Takeru sat far from us, and Uncle Hades is... over there, in the corner."

"Did you just say '_Uncle_' Hades?" I nearly choked, and I hadn't even eaten a single thing.

"Yeah," Dionysus grinned. "Apollon and I are half-brothers. Zeus is our dad, and Hades is our uncle."

"What?!" I nearly shouted. "How did I not make that connection?"

Apollon laughed amiably. "I don't think anyone did."

"How come Uncle, I mean Hades, is sitting over there by himself?" I inquired.

"He isn't the social type," Apollon said, trying to pick the best way to state it. "He likes to be by himself."

Glancing across at Hades, I stood up. "I'll go and sit with him then."

"Miko, he's just going to-" I left before Dionysus could finish and went over to Hades' table, placing my tray across from his. He looked up in surprise, then back down at his plate, which was practically untouched.

"Don't come near me," he said. "I'll just bring you misery."

"I don't care, I'm unlucky as is," I chuckled. "How come you aren't eating?"

Taken aback by my nonchalant nature, he almost forgot to answer me. "Ah. I'm not a fan of this kind of food, that's all."

The food tasted fine to me. I saw him eyeing my snacks and handed one over to him. "It's strawberry mochi," I said. "It's my favorite, but you can have some."

"Thanks."

I saw how delighted he was to eat the mochi and beamed. It was cute, actually. We ate silently for the rest of lunch until we finally finished. I stood up, turning to throw my trash away when I crashed right into someone standing behind me, food getting all over my clothes in the process.

"Hey, watch it!" Takeru yelled in irritation as his trash got all over me. Gasping, I was horrified when I felt some of it fly into my hair and cling right onto it. Instead of apologizing like I would expect any normal person to do, Takeru just glared at me, blaming me for it instead.

"What's going on here?" Dionysus asked, hearing Takeru's shouting. He slipped on a wet spot on the ground, falling down onto both me and Takeru at the same time. The hard impact temporarily dazed me and I sat there on the cafeteria floor for a good minute or two while Takeru, who had landed next to me, started yelling at Dionysus instead.

"You big oaf! What's the big deal?" Takeru growled. "You almost killed me there!"

"Sorry," he laughed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "There was a slippery spot there that I didn't see."

He took notice of my matted clothes and the food in my hair and cried out in disbelief. "M-Miko-san, your clothes...!"

"This clumsy little _buttsniff_ did that!" I singled out Takeru for his crime. "He dumped his trash all over me and told me to watch it. Can you believe it?"

"Did you just call me buttsniff?" he demanded, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance. "You're the one who was stupid enough to run right into me. What kind of genius are you? Is this what humans are like?"

I rolled my eyes. "_Eggtart_, stop associating everything with me being a human. It doesn't have anything to do with the fact you're being really mean!"

He picked himself up, dusting off his clothes and leaving. Dionysus breathed a sigh of relief and offered me a hand. I gratefully took it, my anger still at a boiling point as I watched Takeru leave the cafeteria, Tsukito going after him. What was his problem? Surely even gods had common sense and manners, right? Educating them about etiquette and being polite was going to be a lot more difficult than I had already predicted it to be.

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault," Hades apologized, appearing distraught. "Stay away from me. I'll only bring misfortune to you."

"It's not your fault," I claimed, but to no avail. He was already leaving, with no sign of coming back. As I blew a raspberry, Dionysus patted my back, Apollon showing up with concern shining in his eyes.

"Princess, your clothes!"

"Yeah, I know. I'll just go back to the dorms and get some rest. I'll see you guys later," I said, forcing a smile and walking away, ignoring the eyes of everyone around me.

* * *

After showering and getting a new change of clothes, I took a nap on the couch in my room, waking up only when I heard someone knocking on my door. It was the head of the girls' dorms, and she had come to inform me thaf someone had come to see me. I made my way down to the main room of the dormitories, then out the door, where Dionysus was standing with Takeru, who had his arms crossed defiantly over his chest.

"Huh? Dionysus? Takeru? What are you two doing here?" I rubbed my eyes in confusion, wondering if I was dreaming.

"Takeru-san has something to say," Dionysus announced, urging him on with a pat to his shoulder. "Right?"

"Yeah," he said begrudgingly, like a child who was forced to own up to their mistake. "I'm sorry."

"What?" For a moment, I was in disbelief, not believing what my ears were telling me. Then, I burst out in a smile, patting his head. "I'm sorry, too."

He seemed to soften up, but only for a second before Dionysus chuckled. "I didn't think he would actually do it! I'm impressed, Takeru-san."

"Whatever. I'm going back to my room." Takeru's gaze hardened once more and he left in the midst of my petting, leaving my hand suspended in midair. I lowered it and checked the watch on my wrist. I had slept into the evening, and it was nearly dinnertime.

"Looks like Ra's wrapping up the twelfth hour," Dionysus mused as the sun began to set. "Have you eaten dinner yet?"

I shook my head. "Actually, I've been asleep since lunch. I guess I must have been really tired," I confessed. "Have you?"

"No. Why don't you join us on the patio? I think the Norse gods are barbecuing later."

I brightened up immediately. "Really? But wouldn't I be in the way?"

"No. Balder was thinking about inviting you, anyway, to celebrate our first official day as students. Come over in about twenty minutes."

I agreed to do so and went back into the dorms, where the head of the dorm was waiting for me. "Miyanagi-san, you're popular already, and it's only the first day," she giggled. "Did he ask you out on a date?"

I shook my head in embarrassment. "No, no! Nothing of the sort. He just invited me to their barbecue later on."

"Oh, I see," she commented. "By the way, this box came earlier, addressed to you. I forgot to mention it."

She picked up a box by the door and handed it over to me. It was only moderately heavy, and upon shaking it just a little, it sounded like it was books. On the top was my name, drawn across with black ink, and no indication as to whom it was from. I sat in the main room, opening up the package to find that it was indeed filled with three books. A note was left in the cover of one of the books, addressed from Thoth.

'These look familiar?' was all the note contained.

I laid the books out before me, scanning the titles and reciting them aloud. "'Mythology in the Ancient Times', 'Ancient Religions', and 'Life, Death, and Rebirth'," I muttered to myself. At first, they seemed unfamiliar, but as soon as I read the name of the author, I nearly yelled aloud. "Eh?! I'm the author of these books?"

Just who was I?


	4. Conflict

Author's Note: Yay, chapter four! I'm on a roll! I've already written up to chapter six but I still have to go through and proofread it and stuff. Anyway, enjoy! And don't be shy to leave your thoughts! I always have such silent subscribers. TT-TT

* * *

"Well, well, well, look who's here," Loki chimed as I walked onto the patio of the boys' dorms.

Upon seeing me, Apollon beamed brightly, excitedly waving me over. "Princess, you came! Come sit here while we get this thing started!"

Before I could even process his request, I was dragged over to the couch they had pulled out onto the deck and seated in between Thor and Tsukito, who were both equally as quiet and gave me a silent, emotionless look as a greeting. A grill was set up in the center of the deck and Balder, Apollon, and Takeru were busy cooking up meat, vegetables, and fish. Loki was busy hovering around, complaining about miniscule things, and Hades was standing far from the grill and everyone else in the doorway of the dorm.

"Hi, you two," I greeted Thor and Tsukito after moments of awkward silence.

"Hi," they responded in unison. Then, silence.

"Okay... um, so, you guys like barbecues?" I inquired, trying to keep the conversation alive.

"Sure," Thor replied.

"I _guess_."

"So whose idea was it?" I asked.

"Balder's. Barbecued meat is his favorite food," Thor explained. "Balder suggested it, and the others agreed so they brought what they wanted from the school store."

"They have veggies and fish at the school store? How nice," I mused.

"What do school stores usually have?" Tsukito spoke in curiosity.

"Well, my school store sold school supplies, like pens and binders and folders and things like that," I explained. "I think I even used to help out once in a while, but I can't remember for certain. Have you been to the store here before?"

"Yes. I went with Takeru to pick up the fish for the barbecue," Tsukito responded as he jotted down notes about what I told him.

"Since when is fish and vegetables readily available at school?" I mumbled to myself. "Strange."

"The meat is done!" Balder sang gleefully, stepping back and nearly slapping Loki in the face with the tongs. His sea blue eyes seemed to be glimmering as he looked towards us. "Someone go grab the plates!"

"I got it, don't worry."

Hades moved from the doorway as Dionysus stepped out with plates and a box of utensils. I got up to give them a hand, only to have Apollon push me back into my seat, insisting that I leave the work to the others. Thor lent a hand instead, so Tsukito and I were the only ones who remained seated. Loki, picking his way out of the mess, waltzed over to me, toying with his long hair as he looked coyly down at me.

"Who invited you?" he asked. "Just curious."

"Dionysus," I answered.

"I had a feeling it was that drunkard," Loki said, yawning. "Aren't the girls doing something?"

"Not that I know of. Why, you don't want me here?" I challenged, unable to hold back my smile.

"Not exactly, but I don't know," he shrugged. "Do you want to be here? That's the question."

"Yeah, why not? I might as well be here, since there's nothing else for me to do. Besides, it feels kinda nice," I admitted. "Even if I don't really know you guys well, I feel comfortable."

"Huh? Getting all cheesy now?" Loki teased. "You're strange."

"I could definitely say the same for you."

"Tch. I still have to get you back for that dirty trick you pulled earlier," he reminded, a conniving grin tugging at his curved lips. "I would watch my back if I were you. Just saying."

I laughed, completely unafraid of his threat. "Bring it on, Loki. Let's see who's gonna be laughing in the end."

Takeru hollered from the grill, holding up a fish. "Enough with the talking, come and get some food before it's all gone."

"Ooh, me! I want it!" I shouted, pushing past Loki and running over excitedly. Dionysus handed me a plate and a fork, Takeru slapping the grilled fish onto my plate and turning towards Loki and Tsukito.

"Loki, Brother, want some?"

"I would like some," Tsukito said and came to my side. Meanwhile, Loki scrunched his face up in distaste, shaking his head from side to side.

"No way, you don't like fish?" I gawked in disbelief.

"No."

He strut off before I could press him about it, pinching his nose and dashing over to Balder. I shrugged my shoulders and went around eating, surprised at how friendly the guys seemed to already be with one another. But then I realized they still stuck only to their own groups and hardly associated with the others unless they had to. Takeru and Tsukito were inseparable, and sat on the sofa together. Loki, Balder, and Thor set up chairs for the three of them to sit with each other by the railing while they ate the meat. Hades stood by himself, Dionysus and Apollon joking casually with one another over the grill.

It was only our second day here after all. It was too early for me to leave the socializing to them to manage. As I ate alone, I began to form the basis of my plans...

* * *

The next day, I arrived to class early, discovering only Thoth was present. I approached him, hollering 'good morning!' from the doorway to let him know I was there. He was surprised to see me and turned to face me from where he sat at his desk, his lesson plans mapped out before him.

"Miyanagi? You're early," he spoke. "Did you receive the package I sent you?"

I nodded my head, pulling one of the books out of my bag. "Yeah, I came early because I had some questions to ask. For some reason, I still can't remember much about myself. I thought about it more last night, and it's kind of scary," I confessed and sat down beside him.

He picked up 'Life, Death, and Rebirth' and inclined his head. "Hmm. It's strange but it's not unexpected," he spoke carefully. "What can you recall?"

"I live in Tokyo with my mom and dad," I started. "I go to Tokyo University and I double major in history and religion. My experiences are intact still. Like I remember last week I was at the park, walking my dog while listening to Uverworld. But anything about myself as a person, I can't really remember."

The attractive man seemed to be thinking for a moment before he handed the book back to me. "This book... it's brilliant. I've never read anything by a human that was this accurate," he remarked.

"Funny you say that," I said, "because I don't remember me being an author."

"You'll eventually regain memories about yourself, as long as you give it some time," he simply answered. He moved away to write on the board, leaving me sitting there with even more questions flooding my mind.

"Thoth, there's been something else that's bothering me."

He turned and gave me a sharp look. "Thoth-_sama_."

"Right. Thoth-sama," I corrected myself. "Two days ago when the gods had their powers sealed, something happened to me too. Now I have this headband that I can't take off."

He stopped writing, and instead of answering me, he kept his lips sealed, as if debating whether or not he should speak.

"Why should I have something like this shackle when I'm human?"

He turned, about to explain, when Apollon and Balder came into the classroom, exuberance radiating from their bright smiles. They greeted Thoth, who resumed his writing, and then proceeded to choose desks for everyone, writing on a sticky note and pressing it onto the top. I hesitated for an instant, not having gotten any answers, before reluctantly joining the two boys as they struggled with figuring out where to place each student.

"Princess-chan! You're sitting here." Apollon guided me to a seat towards the center of the back of the classroom. "You'll be in the middle so we can all easily ask you about things we don't understand."

Balder nodded. "Miko-san, you'll be in between Tsukito-san and Thor, in front of Loki, and behind Dionysus," he elaborated, pointing to each seat. "Apollon will be to your left diagonal, I'll be on the right, and Hades-san gets this corner seat behind Tsukito. Takeru sits on the right of Loki."

I mentally winced at the seating arrangements, but offered no objections to anything else. Balder and Apollon chatted excitedly with one another as more people began to come into the room, sitting down where they wished and leaving the back of the room to us. As soon as anyone we recognized entered the room, they were hastily waved over to sit down with us. In the end, by the time the tardy bell rang, only Tsukito, Hades, and Dionysus showed up to class. When I asked Tsukito about the whereabouts of the others, he had said they had no intentions of attending class and partaking in Zeus' scheme.

I sighed as Thoth took roll, noting the absence of Loki Laevatein, Totsuka Takeru, and Thor Megingyoruzu. Today was only an introductory course and I zoned out halfway through, glancing over at the empty seats. I would need to find a way to convince them to come to class, whether they liked it or not. As soon as class had concluded for the day, I headed straight out the door and went out in search of the missing boys.

I discovered Takeru lounging about beside the fountain and called out to him, watching as he stood up, glanced at me, then walked away, his arms folded behind his head. Even when I caught up to him and demanded why he didn't attend class, he merely glared at me, called school '_useless_', told me to leave him alone, and sauntered off into the distance.

"Takeru!" I hollered at his retreating form. "Hey! Come back here!"

"Leave me alone, woman!" he shouted as he vanished from sight.

Continuing my sweep of the campus, I found Thor hanging out beneath a tree, his arms crossed over his chest as he gazed stoically out at the horizon. Feeling hopeful I could sway him, I bounded over to him with a relieved smile upon my face, pleased to see that he didn't run off like Takeru had.

"Thor," I panted as I stopped to catch my breath. "Why didn't you come to class today?"

"Didn't feel like it."

I plopped down beside him and instantly knew why he had chosen the spot - the hanging branches of the tree provided ample shade and the breeze felt clean and fresh. For an instant I forgot I had come to scold him and quickly came to my senses.

"You know, if you wanna go back home you have to come to class," I stated. "The only way out is my graduating, and to graduate you need to finish your studies here."

"I know," he spoke. "I just didn't feel like it."

"You can't skip out just because you didn't feel like it," I scolded. "Come tomorrow, okay?"

"If I feel like it, I will."

"Well I'm sure hoping you'll feel like it," I said as I stood up. "Because if you don't show up, I'm coming out here to find you to drag you to class."

"Someone is a little forceful," a voice sang from above me. Looking up, I jumped when I realized Loki had been perched on the tree branch above my head the whole time, no doubt keeping silent just so he could find the perfect moment to strike out and scare me. He wrapped his legs around the branch, dangling upside down as he grinned mischievously at me, grabbing me by the hand.

Thor observed silently from the sidelines as Loki tugged me towards him, swinging his body back up and pulling me with him in the process. In spite of my protests, I was plopped down on the tree branch beside him, my feet hanging over the edge as I involuntarily clutched onto his jacket. The foolhardy Norse god smirked smugly down at me, tightening his grasp on my hand.

"You do realize you're holding onto me, right?" he said, laughing as I hurriedly shoved him away.

"That's only because you grabbed me so suddenly, you bastard," I sulked at his teasing, droning out his maniacal laughter. A gentle wind picked up then, rustling the bright green leaves of the tree and blowing my dark hair in my face. As I brushed the strands away, I peered down at Thor, who seemed to be at peace. I let out a huff, leaning against the trunk of the tree and allowing myself to relax for the first time today.

Loki glanced over at me in curiosity. "_Eh_? You're not gonna lecture me?"

I shook my head. "Why should I? I know you heard me, that's why you were so quiet," I said, then smiled at him. "I didn't know you were such an attentive listener."

"I wasn't listening!" he claimed. "Why would I? Not like I think going to class is worth it, anyway."

"Lies, lies, lies! You were listening. Want proof?" I asked. I pondered over it for a second before deciding to thrust all of the evidence I had in his face. "_One_. Right now you just mentioned class. How did you know I was talking to Thor about that, unless you were eavesdropping? _Two_. When you scared me back there, you called me forceful. But that's because you were listening to what I was saying, isn't it?"

Flabbergasted, he could only stare at me for a good few seconds before crossing his arms over his chest and turning away from me, his expression unreadable. It looked like a mixture between alarm and defiance, or perhaps even annoyance. I had thwarted the trickster yet again. Gloating in my victory, I stretched out my arms, yawning, and undeniable grin etching itself across my face at Loki's irritated eyebrow twitch.

I heard the sound of approaching footsteps and voices and looked back to see Balder, Apollon and Tsukito approaching. Balder called my name out enthusiastically, waving to me, then to Loki. They gathered beneath the tree, where Balder stumbled across Thor - _literally_. Loki jumped off the branch in surprise, rushing over to Balder's side, concern shining in his face, something I never thought I would see. Balder merely giggled at his own clumsiness as Loki helped him back onto his feet, scolding him like a mother would to her child.

For some reason, my heart felt warm seeing their exchange.

"Princess, what are you doing up there?" Apollon asked. "Don't hurt yourself."

"Don't worry, I'll be careful!" I called. "Besides, I've done this before. A lot of times, actually."

Without warning, my head suddenly was overcome with a numbing pain and I was tossed into another episode. This time, instead of seeing myself at school, I saw myself sitting atop a tree like I was now, kicking my legs back and forth as I tucked my hands in my pockets, gazing up at the clear blue sky. There was someone sitting next to me - a boy. I couldn't see his face, but I could hear his soft voice as he sang a sweet song, putting my heart at ease.

"_The sun sleeps on the mountains, and the partridge in the woods. Let also my baby sleep. To get enough of sleep, whisper to her, don't wake her up. The sun sleeps on the mountains, and the partridge in the snow. Let also my daughter sleep on clean sheets. To nani nai, my baby to heal._.."

Who was he?

Where was I?

Why did I feel like I had heard that voice several times before?

Every time I tried looking at him, I would see mere glimpses of his smile, and nothing more. It was as if my mind had been tampered with so I wouldn't be able to identify him by his face. Yet, that voice... it sounded strikingly familiar...

The voice faded away and I found myself jerked suddenly back to reality, falling backwards off the tree branch in my dazed state. Someone cried out, and before I could fall onto the ground below, someone dashed forward and caught me in their arms, tumbling a few times once we hit the ground. Stunned, the aftermath of my episode setting in, I slowly opened my tightly closed eyes and found myself looking right at...

"Loki?"

"What were you thinking falling off like that?" he demanded angrily, though I could hear a hint of concern in his tone.

"Princess! Are you alright?" Apollon and the others bounded over as soon as I had sat up, my head throbbing painfully.

"Miko-san, what's wrong?" Balder inquired, noticing how I clutched my head in my hands, bunching my hair in between my fingers as the relentless spinning and pounding ensued. I felt sick to my stomach and forced back the vomit that was threatening to come out.

"She's in pain," Tsukito pointed out.

"I'll carry her to the nurse," Thor volunteered, stooping by my side and easily lifting me up, carrying me as if I were a child. The sun shone in my eyes, increasing the pain, and I turned my head away to avoid the light. Thor stared me in surprise before glancing back at the others. "...Someone should come with me."

"We all will," Apollon said. "Let's hurry."

Unable to speak, I was carried all the way to the nurse's office, where I was brought into the infirmary and given treatment. I had been given medication to counteract the pain and remained in a half-conscious, drowsy state for the next few hours, slipping in and out of sleep. Everything just seemed like a blur to me. I knew people had come to see me and had tried talking to me, but I could only look at them through half-lidded eyes, unable to form a proper response.

I was in the middle of another period of slumber when I awoke to the sound of the door opening, along with the influx of several voices. Opening my eyes, for the first time since the afternoon, I could see and hear clearly and the pain had subsided to a dull ache. Dionysus, Apollon, and Tsukito had shown up to check up on me, carrying a small basket of grapes.

"Sorry, did we wake you?" Dionysus asked, gently smiling down at me.

I shook my head to indicate it was alright and struggled to sit up, Apollon immediately rushing to assist me, setting me against the headboard. "Princess, we brought some fresh grapes for you! They're already washed."

"...Thanks."

I reached out to take the basket, Apollon moving it from my reach and wagging his finger at me. "No, let me feed you! You're too tired to do this alone." With that, Apollon sat down on the edge of the bed, plucking a grape off and beaming at me. "Open wide."

I reluctantly did as told, the coldness of the grape soothing me instantly. I bit into it, the sweet taste of the fruit filling my mouth. "It's so good!"

"Of course! I grow these myself," Dionysus proclaimed, glowing with pride.

"I want to try one," Tsukito piped up, reminding us of his presence. Apollon fed him one and Tsukito nodded his head, his expression unchanging. "It's sweet."

"Tsukito, you can have more if you want," I said. "I probably can't eat all of it by myself."

"Okay."

Apollon seemed to be gleefully performing his task of babying me, Dionysus watching in amusement as Apollon spoiled me silly. After Tsukito and I finished the grapes, Dionysus decided it was time to ask me about what happened.

"I was out looking for Takeru, Loki, and Thor," I mused. "Takeru refused to listen to me so I gave up and went over to Thor and spoke with him. Loki pulled me up onto the tree branch. Then, Apollon, Balder, and Tsukito-san showed up. I had an episode and fell off. Loki caught me before I could hurt myself and I was brought here shortly after."

"An episode?" Dionysus inquired.

I nodded. "I don't know if you guys know, but I'm having some memory loss. It's kind of hard to explain, but... I don't know much about who I am, except which school I attend and who my parents are. I think I must have hit my head pretty hard when I fell off that mountain."

"Huh?" Apollon exclaimed. "You fell off a _mountain_?!"

"Yeah. After that, I woke up in this place. I didn't realize how bad my memory loss was until yesterday, though," I confessed. "I can remember simple things like going to the market a week ago and buying juice but I can't remember anything personal. It's strange..."

"Did you ask Thoth about this?" Dionysus questioned.

"I did. He told me I would remember in time," I said with disappointment. "I think he knows who I really am, but he won't tell me."

"That's strange."

"How did you survive falling off a mountain?" Tsukito queried after a period of silence. I looked up at the pretty-faced boy and shook my head.

"Honestly, I have no clue. Maybe I got lucky," I joked, though it was forced.

The nurse came in and announced she would do a check up to determine whether or not it was okay for me to go back to my dorm. I had recovered quickly and so she signed the paper for my release, escorting me outside where the three boys were waiting. As we headed down the hallway together, the others appeared around the corner, nearly colliding with us. Loki, Balder, and Thor were together, and Hades and Takeru lingered in the background. According to Balder, they had all come to see me.

"Are you okay, Miko-san?" Balder cried worriedly, hugging me. "I was so scared something would happen to you!"

I chuckled, reassuring him with a smile. "I'm okay now. Thank you guys for worrying about me."

"Idiot, what the hell were you thinking sitting up on a tree like that?" Takeru berated me as he caught up with the rest of us.

"It wasn't her fault. Loki-Loki pulled her up there in the first place," Apollon defended me.

Loki was offended. "What? So it's my fault now?"

"Yeah! You should have watched her more carefully! She could have gotten hurt," Apollon argued.

Loki glared at him. "You really have some nerve, don't you? I can see how that old man is your dad."

"Huh?" It was Apollon's turn to be taken aback, his shock soon turning into anger. "What's your problem?"

"It's not anyone's fault but my own," I spoke, silencing the two sparring boys. "Stop fighting. Are you children or gods?"

"She's right," Hades agreed. "People are staring."

"Whatever. Preppy boy started it first," Loki said, folding his arms behind his head carelessly. The tense atmosphere stayed with us all the way back to the dorms, where they dropped me off and headed across to their own dorm building. The head of the girls dorms was there to greet me, inviting me into the lounge area where some of the other girls were having dinner. I happily joined them, relieved to be able to eat a full meal, and afterwards, retired to my own bedroom, where I fell onto the bed and fell fast asleep.


	5. Playtime

Author's Note: Yay, chapter five! I'm working on several different fics at once so I might be a little slow, but I have all summer to write so I'll be updating frequently. And Marvellover, I loved Dionysus a lot too! That's why I made him one of the main characters! Thor will also be shown a lot more since he was pretty much in the background during the anime~

* * *

The next day, everyone showed up to class, even the three who initially refused to come. Tsukito and Dionysus were the most actively listening of the group and asked me questions whenever they didn't understand something that Thoth covered. After class had concluded, the nine of us remained behind, Thoth coming over to ask about what happened the previous day. To avoid any conflict, I explained what had happened to him, relieved when he didn't press for any details. The boys left as I stayed back to speak privately with him, sitting on a chair beside him.

I explained my visions to him, hoping he would provide some insight, but he merely repeated himself, saying my memories would gradually return to me over an extended period of time. I suddenly remembered our conversation from the previous morning and brought up the shackle once more, knowing this time, our conversation would not be disrupted.

As Thoth filed through his papers, he let out a sigh. "You'll eventually figure that out, too. It's something that I cannot explain to you. It's up to you to discover why you have that headband. It'll come with the memories."

He offered no further answers, to my dismay, and kicked me out of the classroom. To my surprise, Takeru was leaning against the wall, waiting for me to come out.

"Oh, it's you," I said. "Thanks for coming to class today."

"I overheard you and Thoth talking," he said. "You're human, right? Why do you need a shackle?"

"Yeah, I'm human," I clarified. "How much did you hear?"

"All of it."

We walked side-by-side out to the front of the school, where I rested against the railing to talk to him. "On the first day we came, when everyone got their shackles to restrain their powers, somehow I got one as well," I explained. "I know I'm human, though. I live in Tokyo and my parents are teachers, not gods."

"You can't be human if you have that thing on," Takeru said. "It's meant to seal up powers. If you don't have some kind of powers, then why is that thing on you?"

"I... I don't know..." I confessed. "I have to be human, though, right? Zeus said it himself that I was."

Takeru narrowed his eyes at me before scratching the back of his head. "I don't know what you are, and it looks like neither do you. I wouldn't completely rule out the possibility."

"You're crazy," I replied. "There's no way I can be a god. I didn't even know gods were real until three days ago."

Our conversation was interrupted when Tsukito emerged from the doorway, carrying his little notebook in his hand. I let out the tenth sigh of the day and smiled at him, beckoning him over to join us. I saw no sign of any of the others so I assumed they had all gone their own ways. So much for bonding time.

"Loki Laevatein and Apollon Agana Belea are both still angry at each other," Tsukito briefed me on the situation.

"Huh? Seriously? They're still mad over that?" I cried in exasperation. "How do you know? Did they tell you?"

The boy shook his head. "No, but they fought again right after class. Then they went their own ways and made an appointment to settle things later on."

"What about Balder and Dionysus? Didn't they say anything?" I asked in concern.

"Balder Hringhorni told them to stop, and Dionysus Thrysos reminded them you said it wasn't any of their faults," Tsukito explained. "But they didn't listen."

I sighed yet again upon the news of Loki and Apollon's conflict. If there was anyone who could settle the match, it would be me. I was sure they wouldn't listen to anything the others said unless it came from my very own mouth.

Takeru, who had been avidly listening, decided to give his opinion on the matter. "You know, you're the only one who can do something about it. Knowing them, they'll just ignore us."

"Yeah, I know," I spoke. "Tsukito, you know when and where they're going to meet up?"

According to Tsukito's testimony three o' clock, on the deck of the boys' dorms, Loki and Apollon would get together and settle their scores. I was more than certain that it wouldn't end nicely, judging from their argument the previous day. Hoping to avoid conflict, I resolved myself to prevent the worst case scenario and show up myself before things could escalate.

In the meantime, I decided to return to my own dorm, where I took out my journal, flipping to the first page and beginning to jot down everything that had happened to me after waking up in the garden. If I kept track of everything, I might be able to not only help myself, but the others as well. I would be able to physically see the progress I was making as time went by. I reserved a section towards the back of the journal solely for things I could recall about myself. It only filled a single page and consisted of bullet points with question marks at the end of each one.

By the time I had finished, it was already 2:58 p.m. I rushed down the hallway, nearly crashing into other girls as I jumped off the side of the staircase, landing safely on the ground and bursting out the front door of the dorm. As expected, Apollon and Loki were already there, glaring at each other while the others stood, powerless, on the sidelines.

"Loki!" I shouted, averting their attention. "Apollon!"

"Huh? Princess?" Apollon asked in disbelief as I made my way there, stopping to catch my breath.

"What are you doing here?" Loki demanded, just as surprised.

"I'm here... because," I paused for a moment, trying to get my breathing back to normal. "I don't want you guys to fight with each other. So please... just stop."

It was Loki's turn to glare at me. "Stay out of this. It has nothing to do with you. This preppy boy is crossing the line."

"_I'm_ crossing the line?" Apollon argued. "You are! You sure have some nerve, Loki-Loki!"

"Shut up with those stupid nicknames," Loki shot back. "They're annoying."

"At least I'm not the one who dragged Miko-chan onto the tree branch and let her fall off!" Apollon snapped, his usually calm, cheery demeanor completely absent from his features. Loki grabbed Apollon by the collar, his stare unrelenting and merciless.

"I did not have anything to do with her falling!" he shouted. "If anything, it's your own fault! You were the one standing right under the tree and you did nothing! I was the one who saved her, not you."

"Stop it!" I yelled, trying to separate the two boys. The other guys stood by in shock as Apollon and Loki attempted to strangle one another in their raw anger. "Stop fighting! Let go of each other!"

"Go away! This isn't any of your business, human," Loki growled, enraged.

"Hey, don't talk to Miko like that!" Apollon snarled.

Dionysus, realizing things were going too far too quickly, shouted out at them, his voice drowned out by their own arguing. "You two! This is going overboard!"

"Idiots! Let go!" I ordered, managing to pry Loki's hand from Apollon's collar. However, before I could do much more, I was shoved away by Loki, stumbling back onto the ground with a thud.

"That's it."

Thor, fed up with the incessant fighting, stepped in and tried to part them from one another. Balder grabbed Loki while Dionysus managed Apollon, forcefully removing the two sparring boys from one another. I sat there, stunned at their violent behavior as I watched them thrashing to get free from their restraints.

"You hurt Miko-san!" Hades scolded the two as I picked myself back up from the ground.

"Loki," Balder hissed as Loki continued to struggle. "Stop it! That's enough!"

"This is not how I expected gods to behave," I quietly said, brushing the dirt off my hands to see that my skin had been punctured and I was bleeding from small cuts on my palms. "Why are you guys fighting over something so stupid? Both of you should be ashamed of yourselves. Fighting and yelling in each other's faces doesn't solve a thing, it just makes everything a whole lot more worse."

"Miyanagi Kimiko, you're bleeding," Tsukito pointed out.

"It's normal to get mad and disagree with one another," I continued on. "I disagree with people all the time. Just be the better, smarter person and resolve things without resorting to violence. It never solves anything and you hurt not only others, but yourself, too."

I left without another word, heading back into the girls' dorm and ignoring the stunned stares of students who had witnessed the entire thing. Once inside my room, I found my first aid kit lying on the desk and dressed my small cuts, bandaging it up before it could get infected. Then, I walked over to the window and gazed outside. The boys had all dispersed, leaving Takeru and Tsukito as the only ones standing on the deck.

I lied down on my couch, closing my eyes. At least I stopped it before they could hurt each other.

* * *

The next few days inched by terribly slowly. Apollon and Loki avoided not only each other, but group activities altogether. After class, they would leave immediately without any indication about where they were going. Our relationship as a group dwindled, and I found the others associating less and less with one another, not knowing how to deal with the situation. The Japanese gods I spent more time with, seeing as the Greek and Norse ones were still gloomy over the recent happenings. Takeru was as snappy as ever, but his words held less hostility than before. Tsukito was always willing to spend time with me and I found myself teaching the two brothers about random things.

After a week had gone by without Loki nor Apollon talking to me or the others, I was done with being patient knowing things would not change unless I did something about it. Everyone else was sitting around, minding their own business, and it was starting to tick me off. Dionysus lounged about lazily, Hades was seated permanently like a block of wood, Thor was completely unhelpful, Balder was too busy sulking about everything and doing nothing, and the two Japanese gods just didn't care.

After class had wrapped up for the day, Thoth went to dismiss everyone. Before Loki and Apollon could take their leave, I stood up forcefully, causing everyone to stare at me in surprise. I was more disappointed than I was angry, though I couldn't deny that I was feeling upset at everyone in the room, including myself for not doing anything sooner.

"Loki, Apollon, you're staying here," I instructed with a serious expression. "Sit down, both of you."

Apollon looked stunned, but he did as told without hesitating. Meanwhile, Loki had his arms folded behind his head, refusing to sit down even when I looked at him.

Avoiding my gaze, he lifted his chin up in a haughty manner. "I'm not taking part of this stupid game. Bye."

"Loki, I told you to sit," I repeated myself. "Please."

Realizing how serious I was, Loki unwillingly took a step back, seating himself back down on his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. The room got deathly silent as I pondered over what to say. I had planned on doing this eventually, but I never really thought about what I could say to them to resolve the conflict from both sides. After standing there for a moment, contemplating over the best approach to the sensitive topic, I heard Thoth clear his throat behind me as he gathered his materials and headed towards the door.

"I leave everything to you, Miyanagi," he said, closing the door behind him.

The boys, not knowing where to look, uncomfortably shifted in their seats, their gazes avoiding mine as I let out an exhausted huff. Balder quietly toyed with his fingers, his eyes fixated on the ground. Dionysus had his legs propped up on the desk, leaning back as if he were relaxing, but without the usual smile on his face. Tsukito had his hands folded on his lap, staring down at his closed notebook. Thor had his arms crossed, his body facing towards the front of the classroom. Hades glanced over at Apollon worriedly before out the window. Takeru appeared disinterested, though I knew he was just as uncomfortable as the rest of them were.

After remaining it an unsettling silence for an extended period of time, I suddenly reached an epiphany. Overcome with excitement, I clapped my hands together, beaming widely as I scanned their faces. "Apollon, Dionysus, can you grab the bag behind Thoth's desk and empty it out for me?" I asked, stunning everyone there with my unusual request. "The rest of you help me move the desks from the center of the room and push them all against the wall so we have a wide space in the middle."

In utter disbelief, the boys hesitated, glancing at one another as I looked at them in expectation. "Well? C'mon guys, we don't have all day!"

Everyone began to do as I instructed and I walked up to the board, erasing everything Thoth had written and picking up a bright yellow piece of chalk, writing 'Truth or Dare: Kimiko Edition' in capital letters. I then listed the rules for the game as Apollon and Dionysus approached me with the empty black bag. I took it from them and instructed everyone to sit in a circle on the floor as I finished writing out the rules. Once I had finished, I turned around to see that everyone had gathered in a ring on the ground, watching me in confusion. I grinned at them, holding the bag high up in the air.

"Okay, boys! Everyone put one thing that belongs to them into this bag. Only one item each person. I'll give you thirty seconds to decide on what you'll put inside. Once you make your decision, submit your item to me, one at a time," I announced. "You now have thirty seconds. Go!"

The boys immediately got up from their seats, scrambling over to their desks and going through their belongings. As I counted down, the boys hurried to give me their items, dropping them into the bag before I even reached ten seconds. Laughing, I dropped something of my own inside the bag before tossing it in the center of the circle. I picked up the pointing stick Thoth used while teaching the class and smacked it loudly against the board, causing everyone to jump up in surprise.

"I hope you boys are ready, because we're about to have some fun!" I declared with a smile. "Has anyone here played truth or dare before?"

Nobody had a clue what I was even talking about.

"I anticipated this so I wrote down the rules of my game on the board," I said, a scheming laugh escaping from my mouth. "This will be interesting..."


End file.
